Hands on: Acer Iconia Smart handset
updated 09:35 am EST, Mon February 14, 2011
Company finally details flagship smartphone
Electronista finally had a chance to take a closer look at Acer's 4.8-inch smartphone, which has been named the Iconia Smart. The device was first introduced late last year, but the company did not provide full details until this week at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. With a 1024x480 display, the flagship smartphone represents one of the more unique Android offerings to arrive this year.
The display's corner-to-corner measurement suggests it is one of the largest panels to be fitted onto a phone, but its stretched aspect ratio, 21:9, can be deceptive. It is surely larger than most screens, but the extra area is placed at the top and bottom without widening the side-to-side spread. The layout seemed to strike an interesting balance screen size and housing volume, while the narrow width might make the phone more pocketable than many 4.3-inch alternatives with standard aspect ratios.
Acer worked to develop its own custom overlay that sits atop Android 2.3. We expected the tweaks to be optimized for the lengthy screen, but the interface still seemed to be stretched out with unused space between many of the elements.
Aside from the screen, the rest of the specs are at the high end of the spectrum but not markedly above most other premium Android phones. Users can take advantage of HDMI output, an eight-megapixel primary camera, and a two-megapixel front-facing sensor.
Acer has yet to announce pricing information or carriers that may subsidize the Iconia Smart.
